A new option will now present itself at the bottom left side of the screen on Google Meet which will allow you to check your audio and video quality before joining a meeting. Additionally, you can see your network connection and make sure it's solid. If there's an issue with your microphone or … [Read more...] about Google Meet now lets you check your audio and video quality in a green room before joining a call
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Join me on the Stadia Source Podcast and enter to win a Stadia Premiere Bundle
Join me tonight at 5 PM EST on the official Stadia Source Round Table Podcast and get to know me a bit more as I join the discussion about this week's Stadia news, game releases, and hot topics! The release of Hitman 3 as well as the true State Share feature roll out in the form of 'Playable … [Read more...] about Join me on the Stadia Source Podcast and enter to win a Stadia Premiere Bundle
The Google Podcasts web app comes closer to replacing its app counterpart
After breaching 50 million installs on the Play Store, Google's podcasts app is receiving some long-awaited love. Earlier this year it received a full redesign and you can now add subscription sources directly via RSS feed. This week, your subscriptions tab began showing the same horizontal carousel … [Read more...] about The Google Podcasts web app comes closer to replacing its app counterpart
How to add a new source to Google Podcasts via RSS
Last month, Google Podcasts struck 50 million installs on the Play Store - that's quite a milestone. This year, it received a full redesign and the ability to be accessed via the web instead of just the app, so it's become quite the contender for podcast listeners. The only thing that's been missing … [Read more...] about How to add a new source to Google Podcasts via RSS
Nest WiFi can now prioritize your bandwidth for gaming and video conferencing
Last year, we saw that a 'gaming preferred' setting was coming to the Nest Wifi via the Google Home app. Gaming preferred would allow you to prioritize devices in the home for more bandwidth usage while playing on Stadia, a game console, or a computer. There was even a support page placed up to … [Read more...] about Nest WiFi can now prioritize your bandwidth for gaming and video conferencing
Hangouts no longer lets you video call groups, links you to Meet instead
Google seems to be on a warpath to eradicate their long-loved Hangouts service. Google Chat has already taken drastic steps to clean up the mess that Hangouts left behind, and now, you can no longer make group video calls in the app. As of Hangouts version 36.0.340725045, a new banner at the top of … [Read more...] about Hangouts no longer lets you video call groups, links you to Meet instead
Google’s Phone app may be rebranded as ‘Google Call’, complete with a new icon
After releasing their Phone app to non-Pixel devices at the beginning of this month, Google may be converting it into something named 'Google Call' according to an ad found by a Reddit user. Apparently, the image below was an ad on Youtube for u/DominusLux and it sports a multi-colored icon in the … [Read more...] about Google’s Phone app may be rebranded as ‘Google Call’, complete with a new icon
Chrome decides to extend support for Windows 7 in light of the pandemic
Because of the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies' plans to upgrade their infrastructure from Windows 7 to Windows 10 have been slowed or halted completely in favor of more pressing IT support and network needs. According to Google, 22% of companies are either still … [Read more...] about Chrome decides to extend support for Windows 7 in light of the pandemic
Chrome 87 brings the largest speed and battery improvements in years, new productivity features
As the holidays inch closer, the Chrome team is releasing their final build of the year. Focusing heavily on their desire to help users get things done and reclaim precious time has been a goal of most of Google's app and service updates lately, especially across Maps, Search, and more. Chrome 87 is … [Read more...] about Chrome 87 brings the largest speed and battery improvements in years, new productivity features
Assistant enabled smart displays will soon receive more educational and storytelling content for kids
Last week, I pointed out how Google's new Kid's Space initiative looked eerily like it could be adapted to the Nest Hub UI and also how Area 120 recently shut down their popular kid's reading app, Rivet. The company stated that they would be transitioning their books into Youtube, Kid's Space and … [Read more...] about Assistant enabled smart displays will soon receive more educational and storytelling content for kids
Google Assistant is receiving more natural sounding voice models again
Google just added two new natural language Assistant voices to their platform so that developers can deliver higher quality experiences to their users. The two new English-speaking voices come as an updated to their prosody model. You can listen to one of them below to get a sense for how different … [Read more...] about Google Assistant is receiving more natural sounding voice models again
An affordable Nest Thermostat with hand gesture controls may be coming very soon
According to a Bloomberg report by Mark Gurman, Nest plans to release a new thermostat in the 'coming weeks' at an aggressive $129 price point. The original thermostat costs $249. Google does have a budget friendly version called the Nest Thermostat E at $169, but it's lacking in features and is … [Read more...] about An affordable Nest Thermostat with hand gesture controls may be coming very soon
